Chatham Schools Plans To Adopt Policies On Masks, COVID-19

CHATHAM, NJ — The Board of Education for the School District of the Chathams plans to meet on Monday night to rescind its policies in place for handling COVID-19, replacing them with ones that work with updates at the state level, including Governor Phil Murphy’s Executive Order 251.

Among items up for a first and second reading before adoption on Aug. 23 with the district's “Road Forward COVID-19 - Health and Safety” policies are:

Mask Wearing Protocol - In conjunction with Murphy’s Executive Order 251 and with some exceptions, all students, staff and visitors must mask up in the Chatham Schools, regardless of vaccination status. The policy the district plans to adopt will be adjusted as Murphy’s office and New Jersey’s Department of Health make modifications. The School District of the Chatham’s policy states, “Refusal to wear a mask may result in exclusion from school and/or disciplinary action.”

Other Types Of Face Masks - Clear masks may be worn by teachers and staff who work with young students and those who are deaf or hearing impairments.

Face Shields - Face shields are not a substitution for face masks, though they can be used with them.

Masking Exemptions - Students and staff are exempt from masking when their health could be inhibited; there’s extreme heat outside; they’re in water; if they have a medical condition, disability or IEP that makes face coverings a difficulty; if they’re under two years old; when eating or drinking; when playing a musical instrument; if they have difficulty breathing or become unconscious; if they are incapacitated; if they can’t remove masks without assistance; if they’re PreK students napping; during high-intensity activities; during gym in a well-ventilated location; and when wearing a face mask causes an unsafe condition.

How To Get Exemptions - Parents should contact their school principal and will need a physician’s letter with their child’s diagnosis for the exemption process, which will require a review and final approval from the district physician. Staff needs to contact Human Resources for their procedure.

Mask Breaks - Students will be given breaks at the discretion of the teaching staff.

Visitor Masking - Visitors must supply their own mask and can’t wear masks with valves or bandana types. With 24-hour’s notice, they can contact their school principal to discuss a mask exemption, before visiting.

Vaccines - The school district plans to track vaccination rates, encouraging all students and staff who are eligible, to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Social Distancing - When masks can’t be worn, such as during lunch periods or gym classes, more than a three foot distance will be maintained between students, otherwise, the spacing will be three feet apart.

Seating Charts - Teachers will track student locations in the classrooms for contact tracing purposes.

Transportation - Masks are mandated on school buses, with drivers attempting to track student seating and spacing between students to the “greatest extent possible.”

Lunches - Students with special health issues may have greater separation than others, with seating generally spaced as far apart as possible. There will be pre-packaged lunches mainly sold for the PK-5 grades. Cleansing and sanitizing will happen after each lunch.

Airflow And Disinfection - The greatest amount of airflow will be maintained with ventilation plus doors and windows open. If a student tests COVID-positive or has symptoms that are COVID-like, the classroom will be cleaned and disinfected within 24 hours after learning of the case.

Testing For Staff - Staff members who aren’t vaccinated or haven’t provided documentation of their vaccines, will need to be tested weekly, with testing available at the school.

To review the agenda for Monday night’s meeting at Chatham High School’s auditorium at 7:30 p.m. click here. To review the attachments for the meeting, including the policies up for adoption, in detail, click here.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.